Control device for change-speed and reversing mechanism.



G. ROESCH.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR CHANGE SPEED AND REVERSING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN-19'. [918- v Patented May 6, 1919.

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GEORGES ROESCH, OF LONDON, EN GLAN' D, ASSIGNGR OF ONE-HALF TO CLEMENT TALBOT LIMITED, 0F LADBRDKE GROVE, LONDON, ENGLAND.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR, GHANGE-PEED AND REVERSING- MECHANISM.

Application filed January 19, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGES RoE'soH, a citizen of the Swiss Confederation, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Devices for Change-Speed and Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to control-devices for change-speed and reversing mechanism such as is commonly employed in the gearbox of motor-cars and of machine-tools. The type of mechanism to which it relates, is that in which a lever moving in two planes at right angles to each other is utilized to select from a series of changespeed rods any one required, according to the position into which the lever'is moved.

According to the present invention, a gear-changing mechanism comprises the combination with an operating-lever carried by a ball-joint and having an operating end which is below the ball-joint and may be in the form of a second ball, of a shaft which lies approximately at right-angles to the operating-lever, is slidably and rotatably mounted, carries at one end a laterally-projecting selecting finger to engage the gearchanging rodsandat the other end a laterally-projecting cup which receives the operating end of the lever. I

It further comprises the combination with these parts of a laterally-projecting stop on the cup carried by the sliding shaft, which stop is movable toward or away from the shaft and is spring-controlled to normally keep it at the limit of its movement in one direction, a releasing-rod which extends through the operating-lever has an operating handle at the top of the same and operatively engages'with its lower end the said finger within the cup for displacing it against its spring-control when so operated, and a stationary arcshaped locking-piece which cooperates with the stop so that when the latter is'in one of its positions it bears against the locking-piece and limits the movement of the shaft in that direction but when operated by the releasing-rod is brought out from alinement with the said locking-piece so that the movement of the shaft is not thus limited.

In combination with the parts already set forth an inclosin casing may be employed for the sliding: saft and the lower end. of

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Serial No. 212,544.

Fig. 2 is a view of Fig. 1 as seen from the i right, and has a portion of the casing broken away to show the cup and stop;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of construction;

Fig. 4 is a portion of the part of the casing carrying the arc-shaped locking-piece, as seen from the left-sideof Fig. 3.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A hollow lever A, constituting the gear changing lever, is enlarged spherically at A and has a ball-ended lower end'A A rod A (hereinafter termed the releasing rod), extends through the lever A from end to end, and is movable endwise therein. Upon the upper end of the releasing-rod A is secured a knob A having a sleeve which extends downwardly and encircles the end of the lever A. This knob serves as a handle for the lever A as well as the releasing-rod A A spring A within the knob keeps the releasing-rod A at the upper limit of its travel as determined by a stop A fixed to the lower end of the releasingrod.

The spherical portion A of the lever A is supported ina bearing B having a hemispherical cavity therein, so pierced at the bottom as to receive the lower arm of the lever A and to allow it freedom of angular movement about the center of the bearing in all directions. A corresponding cap B for the bearing Bis united to the latter by a screw-threaded portion.

The bearin B is mounted in and closes the upper lim of an L-shaped casing C of cylindrical cross section which surrounds the lower arm of the lever A. The lateral extension C of the casing C, carries bearings C, C in which a hollow shaft D, constituting a gear-changing shaft, is so mounted that it is both rotatable and slidable endwise. To-that end of the shaft D nearest to the lever A is secured a radially projecting hollow arm D forming a cup. The ball end A of the lever A engages the inner W ls of the cup 1), and is a working fit therein, so that the two members constitute a universal joint having also endwise movement.

In a cavity in the inner end of the cup D and below the ball end A of the lever A, is a finger E, movable radially in relation to the gear-changing shaft D. From the finger E a stop E projects through a slot D in the cup D in a, direction parallel to the axis of the shaft D and beyond the end thereof. The end of the releasing-rod A is adapted to engage with the finger E and when depressed to move it, together with its stop E radially toward the center oi the shaft D. A spring E keeps the finger E at the outer limit of its travel. An arc-shaped abutment concentric with the shaft D, constituting a locking-piece, is car ied on the wall of the casing C and presents a plane face perpendicular to the axis of the shaft D. iVhen the finger E is at the outer limit of its t avel the stop E is radially in register with, 2'. e., abuts upon the plane face of the lockingpiece C.

At the end of the shaft D remote from the gear-changing lever A is secured an arm or selecting-finger F, of which the outer end F is adapted to operatively engage either of the gear-changing rods G G The endwise movement to the left-hand (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the shaft D is limited by contact of the face D of the cup D with the face C of the bearing C In this position the end F of the selecting finger F engages with the gear-changing rod G In the position shown in Fig. 1, movement of the shaft D in the right-hand direction prevented by contact of the stop E with the locking-piece C, in which position the selecting finger F engages with the gear changing rod G When, owing to the knob A being pressed down, the stop E is moved radially inward to clear the locking-piece C the shaft D can be moved endwise still farther to the right-hand until the stop E is in contact with the wall C of the casing C in which position of the parts the selecting finger F engages the gear-changing rod G The foregoing arrangement is adapted to suit a gear-box having four forward speeds and a reverse, and the operation of the gear is as follows:-

The gear-changing lever A is by reason of its ball-pivoted mounting adapted to swing both in a foreand-aft direction of the car, and transversely thereto. By means also of its ball and cup-connection to the shaft D it can impart thereto an endwise movement for the purpose of engaging one of the gear-changing rods and a rocking motion to cause the selecting finger and the gearchanging rod with which it is engaged to move in the requisite direction to obtain the gear desired. The forward gears are connected. to the gear-changing rods G G and either of these can be engaged by moving the shaft D endwise to the left or right respectively, without depressing the finger E with its stop E The reverse gear only is connected to the gea'rcliangi1ig rod G and before this can be engaged by the selector finger F, the releasing-rod A must be depressed to depress the finger E and hung the stop E clear of the locking-piece C so that the shaft D can then he slid to the right (as viewed in the figure) until. the selector finger F engages the gear-changing rod G By the above-described arrangement, it

' will be apparent that the reverse gear cannot be engaged until the releasing-rod has been depressed, thus reducing the risk of doing it inadvertently when the car is moving in a forward direction. a

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 3 which is adapted for cars having three or four forward speeds and a reverse in two lateral displacements, two gearcl'ianging rods only G G are used. Here the rod G controls both a forward and the reverse gear. To avoid inadvertently engaging the FQVGISB gear when the rod G is engaged by the selector finger F, an arc shaped locking-piece C on the wall C of the casing C is so formed as to engage with the stop E and prevent the rotation of the shaft D in the direction required to obtain the reverse gear. W'hen'the said step E is depressed by the releasing-rod A to move it clear of the locking-piece C the 'shaft Dean be rotated and the reverse gear engaged.

To exclude dust and wet from the hearing 13 of the lever A and also from the interior of the casing C, a hemispherical metal shield A is attached to the lever A, so that it oscillates with it and completely covers the hearing. A felt or other suitable washer A encircling the bearing cap B cooperates to prevent dust entering under the shield.

It will be apparent that owing to the lever constituted by the iaterally-projeeting cup D being short, the pressure exerted on itwhen the cup is operated to move the shaft cndwisc has little tendency to bend the shaft 1). As a consequence the shaft slides freely. and without jamming in its bearings and this freedom is further insured by the fact that the working parts of the mechanism are con tained in adust proof and oil-retaining casing. In application the mechanism can be situated on the side of a car where 'it is most convenient for operation iVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is:

1. In gear-changing mechanism. of the type described, the combination with a rotatable and longitudinally slidable shaft, and a laterally projecting selecting finger fast thereon for actuating the gear changing rods, of an arm fixed on the same shaft, a single operating lever pivotally mounted to rock in two planes at right-angles to one another about a point located intermediate of the ends of the lever and having one end operatively connected to said arm, an abutment fixed relatively to the shaft, a stop mounted movably on said arm and adapted to bear against said abutment in one position of the operating lever and thereby prevent the latter from being rocked in one direction out of that position, and means mounted on the operating lever for moving said stop to clear said abutment, substantially as described.

2.111 gear changing mechanism of the type described, the combination with a rotatable and longitudinally slidable shaft, and a laterally projecting selecting finger fast thereon for actuating the gear changing rods, of an arm fixed on the same shaft, a single operating lever pivotally mounted to rock in two planes at right angles to one another about a point located intermediateof the ends of the lever and having one end operatively connected to said arm, an abutment fixed relatively to the shaft, a stop mounted on said arm to move toward and from the shaft and adapted to bear in one end position against said abutment in one position of the operating lever and thereby prevent the latter from bein locked in one direction out of that position and also prevent the shaft from being slid longitudinally toward said abutment, and means mounted on the operating lever for moving said stop to clear said abutment and thereby permit the shaft to be moved by the operating lever toward the same, substantially as described.

3. In gear changing mechanism of the type described, the combination with a 1'0- tatable and longitudinally slidable shaft, and a laterally projecting selecting finger fast thereon for actuating the gear changing rods, of an arm fixed on the same shaft, a single operating lever pivotally mounted to rock in two planes at right angles to one another about a point located intermediate the ends of the lever and having one end operatively connected to said arm, an abutment fixed relatively to the shaft, a stop mounted on said arm to move toward and from the shaft and adapted to bear in one end position against said abutment in one position of the operating lever and thereby prevent the latter from being rocked in one direction out of that position and also pre vent the shaft from being slid longitudi nally toward said abutment, and means mounted on the operating lever for moving said stop to clear said abutment and thereby permit the shaft to be moved by the operating lever toward the same, said abutment being arranged to prevent rotation of the shaft in one direction in relation to the abutment whenever said shaft is out of said end position, substantially as described.

i. In gear changing mechanism of the type described. the combination of a casing having a curved abutment at one end thereof, a selecting shaft mounted to slide longitudinally to rotate in the casing, a hollow arm fast on the shaft in proximity to said abutment, a hollow operating lever pivotally mounted in the casing and having one end located in said arm and its other end located outside the casing, a spring-pressed stop movable in said arm toward and away from the shaft and adapted to bear in its end position away from the shaft against said abutment in one position of the operating lever, and a releasing rod extending through the operating lever and having its outer end constituting a handle and its inner end bearing in said arm against said stop, substantially as described.

5. In gear change mechanism of the type described, the combination with a casing, of a rotatable and longitudinally slidable shaft mounted in the casing, a laterally projecting selecting finger fast thereon for actuating the gear changing rods, an arm fixed on the shaft, :1 single operating lever pivotally mounted to rock in two planes at right angles to each other about a point located intermediate the ends of the lever and having one end operatively connected to said arm, a stuffing box comprising a hemispherical bearing mounted on said casing forming the bearing for said lever, an abutment fixed relatively to the shaft, a stop mounted movably on said arm and adapted to bear against said abutment in one posi tion of the operating lever and thereby prevent the latter frbm being rocked in one direction out of that position, and means mounted on the operating lever for moving said stop to clear said abutment, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGES ROESGH.

Witnesses:

HARRY A. LADD; Gnonen BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner at IE'atenta, Wnahtnagten, i K2. 

